Heritage city

Salisbury

Salisbury - The perfect fusion of ancient and modern

Immortalised in the paintings of Turner and Constable, the awesome sight of Salisbury Cathedral rising up from the lush green water-meadows is so quintessentially English it’s almost too good to be true.

Salisbury Cathedral offers one superlative after another, including Britain’s tallest spire and the world’s oldest working clock. An exhibition within the Chapter House contains the finest of four original 1215 Magna Carta manuscripts, and for an unforgettable experience, a Tower Tour leads you up narrow, winding staircases to the foot of the spire, 225 feet above ground.

The Close is an oasis of calm in the centre of the city. Here, as well as the Cathedral, you’ll find the National Trust’s Mompesson House; The Salisbury Museum; Arundells, home of former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath; The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum; and Sarum College.

An unbeatable destination for day trips and short breaks alike

The historic heart of Salisbury is home to plenty of independent retailers as well as all your favourite high street stores. On Tuesdays and Saturdays (except the third Tuesday in October) the historic Charter Market fills the Market Place as it has done for almost 800 years. There are other interesting markets throughout the year, and if you visit between late-November and mid-December you can join the festivities at Salisbury’s delightful Christmas Market.

On the outskirts of Salisbury you’ll find the Iron Age hill fort of Old Sarum, the original site of the city, and around 10 miles to the north lies the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge, one of the most timeless and iconic wonders of the world.

A great night out

The Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival is just one of many inspirational events throughout the year, while popular cultural venues include Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury Arts Centre and City Hall. Eating out is a pleasure, thanks to an enticing range of tea and coffee shops, inns, bars and restaurants. With plenty on offer throughout the day and on into the early hours, Salisbury has been awarded Purple Flag status – the ‘gold standard’ for a great night out.

This site is jointly produced by the Heritage Cities Group (the tourist authorities for Bath, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Greenwich, Lancaster, Lincoln, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and York). It gives you ideas for planning a trip to all or a combination of our cities.